we had a lot of snow today, a lot of fun. we hope you had fun. we want to thank you so much for watching. stay warm, stay safe this weekend. coming up next is "the ed show" with ed schultz. good evening, americans, and welcome to "the ed show," live from the north country, detroit lakes, minnesota. we've got a heatwave going on up he here. got to 19 today. let's get to work! >> not that i think they become bad people by being unemployed longer. >> never thought i would be unemployed for over six months. >> new leader, new job. >> but the longer they're unemployed, less likely they are ever to get a job again. >> how do i feed my four children? how do i feed the dogs? >> don't simply feed fish. >> the clock is ticking. people have got bills to pay. >> it's so overwhelming, you don't know where to start.

>> seems to me the impression people with unemployment benefits are just kind of sitting around and enjoying the money and nothing could be farther from the truth. >> i'm not the expert. >> the burden is on the republican party to pass unemployment extension. >> no, no. hold on. >> pull the rug out from underneath us. there is nothing left. there's nothing left. >> good to have you with us tonight, folks. thanks for watching. we start with unemployment tonight. six days ago, 1.3 million americans stopped receiving their unemployment benefits. their government, i believe, has failed them. and now that we're in a tough spot, it gets worse at this hour. this just in. i've told you, you can't trust the republicans. house majority leader, eric cantor, has sent a memo to house republicans, laying out their legislative agenda for the month of january. unemployment insurance is not

included in this memo. but i tell you, you cut a deal with the republicans and they're not going to bring it to the floor. it's not on their agenda. majority leader in the senate, harry reid, said the senate will vote on monday on a three-month extension of unemployment benefits. that's good news. the bill is expected to pass in the senate. but, of course, the leader isn't holding out any hope for what could happen in the house. he said i don't predict anything in the house. and after he reads this memo, he will back that up. he described the chamber in the house as a black hole of legislation. now, a lot of house republicans are opposed to the unemployment extension. philosophically, they're not there. house speaker, john boehner, said he might bring it up for a vote. if the cuts are made elsewhere. >> when the white house finally called me last friday, about extending unemployment benefits, i said that we would clearly

consider it. as long as it's paid for, and as long as there are other efforts that will help get our economy moving once again. >> tell me, mr. boehner, was the shutdown paid for? no. you're wiping your hands of that one, right? democrats are taking a huge leap of faith trusting john boehner to go along with the senate bill. you know, i want to play out a scenario, if i may, tonight on this program. i would like to present myself to you viewers tonight as a long-term unemployed american. i'm in my 50s. i'm trying to to get back into the marketplace. i'm trying to get back into the economy. i have applied for jobs every day. with you just nothing seems to be breaking, because the economy is just still very much in a rut. now i've been in the work force for 25 years. i've paid all my taxes, i've played by the rules. you know, but you know what? my job was outsourced. i'm a professional, i was in middle management, the company i work at, i'm in my 50s, they have been pretty good over the

years. but i just can't seem to find a job that uses my skills. and really what i need right now is more time. but right now i kind of feel like my government has abandoned me. i don't know what i'm going to do about putting food on the table, paying the rent. who knows, we might get evicted. and most importantly, i need time to go find another job. it's a tight market. and now the democrats who i voted for, the democrats, they want me, mr. unemployed, to go out and pressure republicans to pass an unemployment extension? here i am, i'm an electrical engineer, i've got all the qualifications in the world. my company is downsized, i need a little bit more tichlt time. and they want me to gin up some kind of pressure that's going to change the heart and soul of an idea log who has been the centerpiece of obstruction? john boehner? you want me to do that? democrats want me to change john boehner's mind? give me a break. you had a vote.

you threw me to the side of the road. what type of strategy is this? well, here's the memo. i'm just an unemployed guy, watching "the ed show," and they tell me that, well, it's not on their legislative agenda for january. they want people with no money to show up in washington and do a rally? the unemployed? i mean, we can barely put food on the table? there's no way that they can afford gas and travel expenses to go to washington, d.c. hell, i've got to stay in my house. i've got to pay the rent. there is nothing that is going to break the will of john boehner and the republicans. there was a time in that town called washington, d.c., when a senate vote, and i kind of follow this stuff a little bit -- the senate vote actually meant something. it was kind of the pulse of the country that you could kind of count on the house to follow. well, those days are over. i don't think there is anything that will move the republicans on unemployment, unless there's something in it for them.

i'm watching "the ed show," and heck, they just played a sound bite of john boehner saying we'll do it if we can make some cuts somewhere else. what are they doing? they're trying to take blood out of a rock. i think these unemployed americans need to brace themselves for the long haul. that's me. okay. now back to reality. now back to ed. i will be absolutely stunned if boehner brings this up for a vote. especially now that we've seen this memo. and i'm talking about an unconditional vote. in other words, not tagged to anything else. i hope i'm wrong. our next guest is former senator, byron dorgan of north dakota, who has always had a great record as a public servant in his 40 years to fight for the working folk of america. in fact, he wrote a book called "take this job and ship it." the book came out about six years ago. and it warns of situations just like this. you want to ship jobs overseas? this is what you're going to run

into. you're going to run into long-term unemployment, which is higher now than it was the last time we had an extension. republican policies, my friends, have led to this mess. and now they're refusing to help fix the problem. they don't have a solution. so here we are, we're rolling back into the second session of the 113th congress, and you know what the republicans are going to talk about? they're going to talk about the epa. they want to reform some things at the epa. they want to talk about flood insurance and they also want to talk about trade. gosh, i wonder if they want the transpacific partnership, which is going to gut more american jobs. as far as the unemployed is concerned in this country, there is nothing on the table when it comes to the republicans. so did the democrats do the right thing by doing a deal with these folks? okay. so it did shut off the sequester. when are we going to fight? that's the question. when are the democrats going to draw the line in the sand and

say, all right, we're going to let the american people decide whether these sequester cuts are too much or not. but you've got to do something for the unemployed. these are special circumstances, we still have high unemployment. it's still above 6%. i believe that the democrats should take the position that it's going to be unlimited. it's going to be unlimited unemployment insurance, be until we get that unemployment under 6%. it's a fight that you can win with the american people. democrats. get your cell phones out. i want to know what you think. tonight's question. is there anything that will make john boehner care about unemployed americans? text a for yes, b for no to 67622. go to our blog at ed.msnbc.com. we'll bring the results later. and keep in mind, this is the same john boehner in the republican house that has refused to work with the democrats and this president, when it comes to a jobs package. let me bring in former senator, byron dorgan of north dakota. senator, good to have you with

us tonight. >> hey, ed. you're on a roll tonight, aren't you? >> well, we have to be on a roll, senator. i mean, i think this -- we are doing americans wrong by just kicking these folks to the side of the road like road kill. >> yeah. >> and how important is it, in your judgment, that this extension for unemployment americans be made? >> well, it's unbelievably important. it's important for the economy, generally, because it will lift the economy. but, you know, for those that are chronically unemployed, they're not unemployed because they volunteered and said, you know, i'd like to wake up in the mornings out of a job. that's not what their situation is. and i find it really interesting. you talk about the house of representatives and eric cantor and john boehner. i find it really interesting that in just recent years when the biggest enterprises in america got in trouble. and by the way, some of them on wall street that helped cause the near collapse of the economy, congress, the same people who are ignoring the unemployed, rushed to those biggest economic interests to say, you know, we've got

unlimited money to bail you out. so the people that nearly caused the economic crash or the near economic collapse, they get bailed out, and the victims of that collapse, some of whom are still looking for work, are told, you know, you don't matter. we're going to leave you behind, and it's just fine. well, you know, what does that say about the value system? it's unbelievable to me. >> so senator, there was a time, and you can speak to this, certainly, all your years in the senate. that when you took a vote, it had an effect on the house. it seems like those days are gone. i want your take on that. >> well, the house is -- you know, we now have become accustomed to the low expectations of the house of representatives. i mean, i understand it. most people who watched it understand it. we know that there's nobody that's unemployed in this country that's going to jump into a private jet, their private jet, and fly to washington to ask for some help. they can't do that. they don't have private jets. they don't have jobs. and so -- but we also know, there are a lot of private jets

landing that come to capitol hill and are getting a lot of help from the house of representatives. my hope is that senator reid will, as he indicated, have a vote in the senate. they'll pass an extension of unemployment benefits. you know, this comes from insurance, as you know, that is taken out of paychecks in any event. it's not welfare. my hope is that the senate will pass that, and that pressure will grow on the house, and they will finally understand their responsibility. during these times, we have a responsibility to do this. >> i mean, i think it's the democrats are reaching here a little bit. to expect somebody who is unemployed to take the time to put pressure on republicans when it's well-stated in their memo that it's not a priority with the republicans. it's simply not a priority. so it looks like the democrats have done a deal with the devil again that you can't trust the republicans, unless they're going to get what they want. so how did we resolve this, senator? what's the solution here? >> well, look.

you know, republicans are willing to leave some of these folks behind, unfortunately. democrats need to keep pushing them. and, you know, the sober reality here is we ought to do the following for chronic unemployed people. we need to extend the unemployment benefits. we also need to provide worker and job training. we need education opportunities, and we need to increase the minimum wage. we just need to do that. and all of that, by the way, represents an investment in the human capital of this country, and all of it will lift the economy. so if you talk about as many of them do, let's find ways to strengthen and lift the economy, do these things. which will help those at the bottom of the economic ladder. >> you know, in your book, "take this job and ship it," you predicted aa lot of this stuff. if you ship jobs overseas, there will be more problems cropping up, and this is one of them. you're also fighting a mind-set. i want to play this clip, rand paul doubling down on thinks claim that unemployment benefits hurt people already struggling. here it is.

>> when i said it's a disservice, i mean this. i am worried about the workers. not that i think they become bad people by being unemployed longer. but that the longer they're unemployed, the less likely they are ever to get a job again. >> less likely for them to ever get a job again. what's your reaction to that, senator? >> i'm reminded of that quote when you hit someone over the head with a book and get a hollow sound. it doesn't mean the book is empty. i just don't understand what he was talking about. you know? the fact is, we need to help people at the bottom of the economic ladder who are chronically unemployed, looking for work, desperate for some help. why don't we do what we are required to do? >> what does the president need to do? i personally think that president obama has made this a priority. but how much political capital can the democrats spend on this? there's other business that has to be done too. and the fear here is that, you know, it's not going to get done. so the role of the president. what could he do, what should he

do, in your opinion? >> well, continue to apply as much pressure as he can. you're right. we have another agenda, a significant agenda. but, you know, like in the old west when the wagon trains were populating the old west, the notion was you don't move the wagon train ahead by leaving some wagons behind. the same is true with our country. we have people at the bottom of the ladder at this point, unemployed and in very difficult straits. and let's at least be able to do those easy things. it is not a big lift to extend the unemployment benefits. it is so important to do it, and it ought not be a big lift for anybody. >> yeah. i find it hard to believe that they can't find $25 billion in the defense budget. i think the president needs to be very vocal, very aggressive about this, and don't get off the dime at all. i mean, stay focused. this is where the country is on income inequality. former senator byron dorgan, always great to have you with us, senator. appreciate your time. thanks for joining us tonight. remember to answer tonight's question there at the bottom of the screen, share your thoughts with us on twitter at ed show

and on facebook. we always want to know what you think. coming up, republican congressman, darrell issa's newest push to put the postal service in a death spiral. still ahead, an nfl team kicks back allegations of bigotry and anti gay sentiment from its former punter. stay with us. more coming up on "the ed show." from the north country. of the dt at 1406 35th street the old dining table at 25th and hoffman. ...and the little room above the strip mall off roble avenue. ♪ this magic moment it is the story of where every great idea begins. and of those who believed they had the power to do more. dell is honored to be part of some of the world's great stories. that began much the same way ours did. in a little dorm room -- 2713. ♪ this magic moment ♪ ♪ this magic moment peoi go to angie's listt for all kinds of reasons. to gauge whether or not the projects will be done in a timely fashion and within budget. angie's list members can tell you which provider is the best in town.

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postmark. >> viper arm. >> i'm concerned about the post office. people have trusted the united states postal service for two centuries. >> they're losing tens of billions of dollars each year. >> well congressman issa wants to end the postal service as we know t. darrell issa's military pension plan targets the post office. >> the new budget carries $63 billion in savings with it. but $6 billion of that is coming out of the pockets of vets. >> members of congress who have vowed to repeal this provision. >> republicans like congressman darrell issa have been trying to take down the postalal service for a long time. >> the need to right-size the post office. >> protected by viper. stand back. >> joining me now is congressman dan killde of michigan, member of the house financial services committee. congressman, good to have you with us tonight. appreciate your time. i understand that you support repealing the cuts to military benefits, but you don't think issa's plan to end saturday

postal service is the way to do it. how would you get there, and i'd like your take on how would you get there, and how important is it as you see it, to make sure they hold on to saturday delivery? >> well, first of all, how we get there, there's a bill that my colleague, congressman dan mafay from new york has introduced that i have co sponsored that would restore the military pension coala cut, a 1% cut for military pensions up until age 62. it would restore that $6 billion cut over ten years by simply requiring that companies, corporations, that are operated and managed here, controlled and managed here in the united states, but choose to offshore their corporate headquarters in order to avoid taxes. that those corporations simply have to pay the same corporate income taxes that real american companies pay. that would generate $6.6 billion. >> that is a heavy lift. >> i agree. but here's the thing.

we have got to put the republicans in a position where they show who they stand with. we know they stand with their corporate interests. i find it really interesting that congressman issa's approach is to tell working people, middle class people, military pension retirees, recipients, that the only way we can get their benefits back is to cut the jobs and cut the support to other middle-income people. look, this postal service deficit is a manufactured deficit. it's a false creation of the bush white house. and it's really disingenuous that they continue to point to that as some sort of failure of the postal service. >> well, it is. and they will take any opportunity they possibly can to get rid of the postal service. it's just going to be one day at a time. and to cut back saturday delivery to take care of military retirees, i think is absolutely outrageous. but here is -- concocting these

plans. here is issa concocting up all of these plans to go after american workers. >> right. this would cost -- first of all, two -- a third of the new postal carriers in our cities are veterans, which i think is ironic. 80,000 of them would lose their jobs under mr. issa's plan. but the fact is, they created this crisis by requiring the postal service to prefund 75 years worth of retiree benefits in a ten-year period. no public or private organization has ever been asked to do that. >> and never gets cold on that. issa never gets cold on that. >> the postal service -- >> i know there is -- go ahead. >> i was going to say, the postal service would have made a profit in 2013 if it had not been for that ridiculous requirement. >> well, he doesn't say that. you're exactly right on that. there is no question about it. this is a government intervention, this is a government takeover. they have strapped the postal service.

but even when they can't shut it down, they use other issues to go right back after it. they're all about privatization across the board. and i guess the question is, when are the democrats going to go on offense and make demands the same way the republicans do like this? >> you know, ed, i think i agree with you. this has been a frustrating first year for me in this congress, and there just is a time when we have to stand and fight. we try to be the good guys so often, that we are -- we are sometimes in a position where we are doing that to our own detriment. we have got to be able to fight. and when it comes to the middle class, we're supposed to support and represent those folks. we ought not let them try to leverage the pension obligation that we have to our military retirees in order to cut the postal service. i mean, this is really getting out of hand. it's beyond the pail and we need to say no more. >> i want to go back to the opening segment on this program tonight. we got some breaking news that the republicans do not have it on their agenda to do anything

about unemployment insurance. that that's not where they're going in january. what's your reaction to that? >> well, it's a shame. and it's no -- i wish i could say i was surprised. because they did say toward the end of the year, oh, yeah, we'll bring that up. you know, after the first of the year. they didn't say when. but it's a shame. i mean, this is a -- this is a republican conference that, you know, that has shown itself to not have any real concern over the working people in this country. >> or understand it. >> or corporations. >> or to understand where the unemployed are. congressman dan killde, i appreciate your time. thanks for joining us. coming up, why toronto mayor rob ford says he was the best thing to happen to his city? plus, a league of his own. senator sherrod brown takes a stand against the national football league. he joins us live. but next, i'm taking your questions, "ask ed live" just ahead on "the ed show" on msnbc, from the frozen tundra. ♪

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welcome back to "the ed show." love hearing from our viewers here on "the ed show." love your questions. tonight in our "ask ed live" segment, our first question comes from jim green. jim wants to know, why does our media treat unemployment with such indifference? well, jim, you've definitely come to a conclusion that it's not getting enough attention. i can't speak for anybody else, nor would i attempt to. and i'm not a media critic, but i know what i believe is important to the american people. it's the long-term unemployment. i mean, i accept the fact there is going to be a certain amount of unemployed people in every country and every society. but when you have long-term unemployment, there is a reason for it. the reason is, we've got terrible trade policies, we've got bad taxation in this country when it comes to allowing corporations to run roughshod over our government, do whatever the hell they want. and i think it's one domino after another. and long-term unemployment isn't going to go away until we do

something about the jobs issues in this country, and invest in what we need to invest in to keep this country strong. i think it all ties together. i think it's a big, big story. our next question is from manny. do you think republicans will ever acknowledge that the website, healthcare.gov, is working properly. well, let's just say it's not 100%. but it's a heck of a lot better. and it's working better all of the time. a lot of time and resource has been put into this to make it right. i think they have done a tremendous recovery. now i think it's up to the democrats to explain the good things about obamacare and the affordable care act, which is, by the way, the same thing. but if they're not going to give credit for this turn-around we have had in the economy of 47 months of private sector job growth, which is a positive, how do you expect them to ever give credit to the white house when it comes to a website when they are ideologically opposed to any intervention whatsoever, or

government assistance when it comes to health care? remember, they want to privatize everything. not just some things. stick around. "rapid response panel" coming up next. i'm seema mody with your cnbc market wrap. fed chairman ben bernanke assures investors rates will remain low. that helped the dow end the day with a 28-point gain. s&p 500 fell a fraction. the nasdaq, though, losing 11. december wasn't a standout for the auto industry, but 2013 was pretty good. ford posted a slight sales gain, but sales rose 11% for the year, a six-year high. as for gm, sales fell more than 6% last month. for the year, though, they were up 7.3%. and that's it from cnbc, first in business worldwide. e the cut♪ ♪ no need to chuck, donate or burn them ♪ ♪ just pack them in our flat rate box ♪ ♪ we'll come to your door and return them ♪ ♪ gifts you bought but never gave away ♪

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welcome back to "the ed show." thanks for watching tonight. let's talk a little football. and social issues. former minnesota vikings' punter, chris kluwe, is making an explosive allegation against his former employer, the minnesota vikings. kluwe claims that the vikings cut him for speaking out for marriage equality, like he did on this program. >> as athletes, we have this very prominent platform, where we can effect social change. and i think it behooves all of us to do the right thing. there's only so many hours a day that i can punt. and i think that goes to the thrust of the matter of what the delegate was trying to say to brendan, is that, you know, you should just be a football player. you should only be on the field. that's all we should hear from you. and i don't think that's right. i think everyone deserves to have their voice heard. >> kluwe was cut by the vikings after posting one of his best years as a punter in 2012. now he's blasting the vikings in an article for deadspin. saying that he believes he was

railroaded out of the national football league by two cowards and a bigot for speaking out. kluwe claims the vikings' head coach, leslie frazier at the time, and general manager, rick spielman, repeatedly tried to dissuade him from speaking out. according to kluwe's account, minnesota vikings' special teams coordinator, mike priefer, is most likely the person responsible for his firing. now, kluwe claims priefer responded to his activism by berating him in team meetings, giving unfair evaluations, using homophobic language in his presence, and saying things like this. quote, we should round up all the gays, send them to an island, and then nuke it until it glows. mike priefer and the vikings deny the allegations made in kluwe's account. it's important to note that priefer is also on the short list to become the vikings next head football coach, because they got rid of frazier. this story comes on the heels of a related nfl controversy just

this week. earlier this week, all-pro quarterback of the green bay packers, quarterback aaron rodgers, felt pressured to address an internet report about his sexuality on a local radio show. >> or if you get, you know, crazy rumors that swirl around you from time to time that -- it is silly. >> i have no idea what you could be referring to. >> yeah. >> oh, you mean the aaron rodgers is gay story. >> yeah. el well, you know what? >> so you're aware. you saw this out there. >> yeah, i'm just going to say, i'm not gay. i really, really like women. that's all i can say about that. >> 2013 was a huge year in this country for equality in america. but these two stories make one thing clear. the nfl has got a long way to go. joining me now is our rapid response panel author liz

winsted and liberal comment at a timer and comedian john fugelsang. great to have you with us tonight. it's the evolution of society and acceptance and maybe the nfl isn't there. but let's get right to it. do you think chris kluwe wee was fired for his activism? liz, what is your take on this? >> well, i'm not a giant football fan. so i can't really say. but i have to say that chris kluwe doesn't seem like the kind of person who would just come out and make these accusations blindly. i think that when you come out on a controversial issue in an environment that is hostile towards t you are putting your own self on the back burner to work for the greater good. so i am really curious to hear if what he says is true. and if his special teams coach said that, then that person should be fired. >> what about that, john fugelsang? how can anybody put any kind of social pressure on the nfl as big an industry as they are, and

what a from a turnel al order the owners have? >> capitalism is one of the unsung heroes of the civil rights movement, ed and by boycotting him, you can do that. a lot more good news than bad. i know a lot of us are shocked there could be homophobia in sports and i long for the wholesome days of 2013 when football players like man tie te'o had innocently dead fake online girlfriends. the fact is, they're allowed to fire this guy if they want to. replace him with a guy who makes half the money. we talked about this two weeks ago with a & e and the guy from "duck dynasty." a private company has every right to fire you for your personal beliefs. however, what's very interesting is, the coach hasn't filed a lawsuit of defamation, and mr. kluwe claims he has plenty of witnesses. i think it's fantastic that we are in an age when football jocks are competing over who is the least homophobic. and we should all be very proud america has gotten this far. >> as the country moves forward on this issue of equality, football seems to be still pretty backwards on this.

and it just shows that there's just not going to be total acceptance in society. now, the assistant coach of the vikings, priefer, released a statement saying that i vehemently deny today's allegations made by chris kluwe. i want to be clear that i do not tolerate discrimination of any type, and am respectful of all individuals. i personally have gay family members who i love and support, just as i do any family member. liz, what's your response to this? i mean, we have -- responding to an allegation. what's your response to that? >> that last line is kind of weird like i love my gay family members just like the other family members. i'm not really sure what that means, as though he would -- they're -- you know, we have purebred dogs and rescue dogs and i love them all the same. so i just think that one thing that says we have moved forward is the fact that, you know, a special teams coach in a major league, you know -- major nfl football team has to issue a

statement on this issue. and i think that that is a pretty big deal in moving forward, that society has said you want to know what, we do not take kindly to hearing that you may have said homophobic things, and we are going to hold you accountable. >> but, you know, here you have the quarterback of the green bay packers in aaron rodgers feeling compelled that he's got to talk about internet rumors. heck, there's rumors about every american out there on the internet. you can believe about 25% about what you read about anybody. john, what does that say about a high-profile player has to i guess clear the air on a talk radio show that he's not gay? let's get this all clear now, he says. just about. what do you make of that? >> i know. i heard him telling repeatedly he wasn't gay and i was like, well, get her. we saw mike piazzaa have to deal with this for many years. it would be really great if mr. rodgers could have come out and thrown in a -- not that there is anything wrong with that. but under no obligation to do so. i would like to see more

professional athletes be leaders on human rights issues in america. i think we just had a movie about jackie robinson last year. it's not unheard of to see athletes leading watt the way in civil rights events and chris clue is a hero over this, and i would like to see a guy like rodgers laugh it off the way straight guys usually do and not make it seem like being gay is de facto icky. >> yeah. that's my biggest thing too, he could have just said, so what if i was? i'm not. but, you know, who cares? like what a boring rumor. instead it was this big, i've got to address this. i really, really like the ladies. >> you're allowed to be gay, you're allowed to be a homophobe. but the homophobes are dying off and it's going to be fun watching them squirm. >> i think aaron rodgers' statement, the way he handled it, on that interview just underscores there is a level of intimidation and you better clear the air, because you don't want to be discriminated against. the vikings are saying they're going to review the matter. but they also deny kluwe's account. so i don't know what needs to be done at this point.

but i think that we can come to the conclusion that there's not going to be too many nfl players out there who are going to be activists when it comes to social change in america that it's for their own career, i think the message has been set -- sent to them that, you know, it's best if you keep to your cell phone issues like this, because you don't want to possibly affect your career. >> well, i just -- ed, i think that's where the fans need to come in and say, you know what, we really respect you, we really support you for coming out. because unless the nfl hears from the fans, that the fans are super behind when chris kluwe says and rightly so, just because you become a professional athlete or an actor or whatever, doesn't mean you're not a citizen anymore. and you get to have opinions and you get to -- say what's right. >> being gay is natural. hating gay is a lifestyle choice. and chris kluwe is going to be a hero to a lot of people for a long time. how many other former vikings punters can you all name? >> yeah. liz winsted, john fugelsang,

great to have you with us. appreciate your time. thank you on "the ed show." coming up, the cincinnati bengals throw a hail mary to fans. the team needed to sell enough tickets for sunday's playoff game to avoid a media blackout. tell you how that went down. stay with us. really makes my life easier. maybe a promotion is in order. good news. i got a new title. and a raise? management couldn't make that happen. [ male announcer ] introducing fedex one rate. simple, flat rate shipping with the reliability of fedex.

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welcome back to the "ed show." this is the story for the folks who take a shower after work. late this afternoon the cincinnati bengals pulled off a hail mary. the bengals were able to sell out sunday's playoff game with the chargers with the help of some big corporate do nors. earlier this week the nfl threatened to black out home playoff games for the bengals. the colts and packers if they fail to sell out the stadium. sherrod brown blew the whistle on the nfl's threat. he released a statement saying this potential blackout is unacceptable at a time when the price of attending games continuing to rise and the economy is not where it needs to

be. i applaud the senator for doing that. nfl owners are some of the wealthiest americans. good for them. they use taxpayers to subsidize the building of their stadiums. they charge extraordinary amounts for tickets. and they have used this blackout rule for years as extortion to grab every dollar they possibly can get. the federal communications commission, by the way, recently proposed to eliminate the sports blackout rule. this is a case, i believe, of classic income inequality. if you're wealthy, you have all the access to entertainment. if you're an average joe wage earner, you're left in the cold. senator sherrod brown of ohio joins us now. good to have you with us. i think it's gutsy to bring this up. because the nfl is such a -- such an institution in america. it's really a big part of our

culture. and i was certainly interested in your story today on the radio when you talked about you were a kid and your dad used to take you and your brothers to games when it didn't cost much. those days seem to be slipping away from americans. >> this isn't the most important national issue we face that congress should be involved in. on the other hand three years ago i sent a letter to the commissioner of the nfl saying this rule is unfair to fans and taxpayers, got no answer. finally we sent another letter and called. finally they gave us a weak, noncommittal answer. and then the federal communications commission got involved and made a unanimous bipartisan ruling saying get rid of this rule. and the nfl still has dug in. you think a bt it this way. cincinnati especially has some of the highest taxpayer subsidies to build the stadium there.

and in there are always lots of taxpayer dollars involved. the average price of an nfl ticket, it would take a minimum wage earner more than ten hours to buy a ticket. the average price is $75. for the playoffs it's probably half more than that. when you figure then they black these games out because working class middle class people can't go when there's so many tax dollars involved. that's why they ought to end this policy of blackout. and the nfl is the most profitable sports league, i believe, in the history of this country. and that they are so fan unfriendly, if i can coin a term, is really something here. >> well, i think you make a great point. because those folks that want to go to the game and can't afford it, it's their tax dollars to build the stadium. if they were funding their own

stadiums, i think it would be a different story. ironically cincinnati has the cheapest tickets for any of the nfl playoff games this weekend. it's the nfl, not the bengals, that gets all the revenue of the ticket sales. isn't that wrong? >> well, i don't know exactly how the process works during the playoffs. but i know it's wrong. it's wrong in the sense that taxpayers put this money into these stadiums. and you know, you've talked a lot about inequality. it's insurance you pay in, you get help if you need it. and we need to raise the minimum wage. this is just an example of what income inequality means. you've got millionaire players, taxpayer subsidies for the stadium, public airwaves here. and then blackout rule when ticket prices are so sky high that most middle class families can't afford them. >> senator, thanks for bringing

it up. if we don't talk about income inequality and fairness, it's never going to get addressed. i want to talk to you about a story that broke at the top of the hour. eric cantor sent out a memo to republicans in the house that talks about what the legislative priorities for the month of january are. unemployment insurance is not on the list. what's your reaction to that? >> of course it's not. they're the ones that blocked it. i know that ed lleader reid wan to keep us in december during washington. a lot of us said we shouldn't go home for the holidays until we extend unemployment benefits. it's insurance. it's like medicare and social security. you pay into social insurance. if you need it, you get assistance. that's what unemployment is. you've got to be looking for work in order to get the benefits. it's about $300 a week on the average. so people, i mean, there are always exceptions and stories.

but people aren't gaining in this system. they need us. they need help. and it puts money into the local economy and creates more jobs. >> we got all that. there's no question about it. you're correct. but now we're at a crossroads. the republicans, they're not going to bring it to the floor unless they get something. and that get might be something really big. so was it a mistake for the democrats to do this budget deal now that the republicans are showing their cards here the third day in january? >> well, i think senator murray did the best she could on this budget deal. nobody was thrilled with it, but i think it was pretty good considering what it could have been. i think we've got to do whatever it takes. i know that senator jack reed from rhode island has been leading the charge on this with a group of us supporting him. and it's really important that we attach this to something else or we just continue to tell stories about how important this is and hope that even though the christmas is over, that maybe

the christmas spirit will enable some of these house republicans to do the right thing here. >> yeah. senator, good to have you with us tonight. >> glad to be here. >> all the best. have a great weekend. that's "the ed show." "politicsnation" with reverend al sharpton starts right now. good evening, rev. >> good evening, ed. and thanks to you for tuning in. tonight's lead, the gop's new talking point. obama care is skewed. that's right. republicans are back at it. if they don't like a fact, they just pretend it isn't true. remember what they said when the polls showed mitt romney losing in 2012? >> but i also think that the polls onslaught that comes out that shows him behind, i don't think it's accurate. >> i don't want anybody falling for this. i'll analyze these polls and explain to you why they're bogus as the program unfolds. >>